Sustainable at heart – three cosmetics companies explain why they choose compostable packaging
Sustainable, functional and beautiful. This is what we promise to everyone who chooses to partner with us. We think you should and you can have it all: while sustainability is definitely at the core of every aspect of our material, quality, usability and aesthetics are equally important considerations for Sulapac.
Sulapac can be applied in so many different uses, like pet urns that just came out, straws and food packaging. But up to date the biggest group using Sulapac is cosmetic companies that are looking for an eco-friendly pair to go with their awesome products. We asked three of them – Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm, Mylo and RDP Skincare to share their stories and why they chose to partner with Sulapac.
Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm: preserving the earth for future generations
“We began to work with Sulapac in February of 2018 and from the very beginning of our project, Heidi [Sales Director Heidi Koljonen] was an excellent communicator. She always made us feel like a valued customer; and walked us through the process from start to finish, including how to import the jars into Canada.
When we rebranded, we chose to focus on sustainability and worked to eliminate plastic from all our packaging. The design of Sulapac was well aligned with the natural, plant-based products we create; products that are preservative free and generally have a 12-month shelf life. This was a consideration when we decided to go with Sulapac as the 36-month shelf life of the container was an excellent fit for the story we wanted to tell about our products. The jars have an organic look to them, with a refined, ceramic texture. We developed an exclusive line of plant-based skin-care products and are proud to package them in the biodegradable Sulapac jars.
As people in general become more aware of the importance of sustainability, they are increasingly choosing businesses well aligned with their ideals.
“The Sulapac container offers the opportunity for an engaging and interesting conversation; not just about what is inside, but the global conversation of how our thoughtful choices can help in the reduction and elimination of plastic waste polluting our planet.”
While a Sulapac container can go into your kitchen compost after use, there are many opportunities to repurpose it after cleaning. On your desk to hold paper clips and thumbtacks; in your sewing area to sort buttons and pins; on your dresser for your jewellery. This is another opportunity to engage and challenge your customers to think creatively about their purchase.
As a 4th generation family farm, we strive to respect and preserve the earth for future generations. We were seeking packaging that aligned with our values and was a conscious and responsible choice in contributing to the global effort to eliminate plastic waste. The Sulapac container is innovative and intriguing, and we were able to captivate the interest of the media in the launch of our new line as there is a keen interest in biodegradable packaging and locally produced goods.
Sulapac is innovative and elegant, it embraces our company’s desire to focus on sustainability at every level of our business, from farming practices to small batch production and ecofriendly packaging. Our customers have embraced our focus on sustainability, and we incorporate Sulapac into our product descriptions; plant-based products in biodegradable, woodchip containers that turn into soil when no longer used.”
Andrea McFadden, Founder
Mylo: transforming from Green Cosmetics to Blue Cosmetics
“We are a small Slovakia-based producer of handmade green cosmetics on the mission to become blue cosmetics. Blue cosmetics is a new term for green cosmetics with a highly sustainable approach in production and consumption.
I first came across Sulapac online when I was searching for sustainable packaging. The design caught my eye – beautiful jars with clean and natural lines. I was also impressed by other qualities of the material: the binders are of natural origin and the packaging compostable, leaving no nanoplastics behind. I got samples and after some testing was further convinced to go with Sulapac.
Our philosophy is built on sustainability throughout the production and consumption of our cosmetics. This is why our customers are choosing Mylo.
“We believe that by using environmentally-friendly, minimized packaging and by eliminating waste, we as the manufacturer can influence the behaviour of consumers – and ultimately, the future of our planet.”
We aim to become a leader in blue cosmetics. At Mylo, our values are centered around purity, simplicity and nature. We connect the power of individual natural ingredients to provide the skin with required care and focus on the highest-quality ingredients while taking into account their effects, safety, ethical sourcing as well as environmental aspects. We prefer local, organic and fair-trade ingredients to deliver green cosmetics with minimum negative impact on nature.
By partnering with Sulapac, we were able to provide cosmetic products that are made sustainably throughout our value chain. We have received a lot of compliments about the packaging. People like the design, but what they’re most interested in is how the packaging is made without conventional plastic binders and can be composted. Plastic production emits high levels of CO2 and plastic can only be downcycled. Overall, only a small percentage of plastic can be recycled, and we wanted a fully recyclable packaging. Sulapac Premium material verifies the compostability of our products, which is an important consideration for our values.”
Barbora Gažová, Founder
RDP Skincare: making the right choices from day one
“RDP is a sustainable, unisex, and vegan skincare brand from Stockholm. We produce in Dalarna, Sweden using only natural ingredients. We launched our first product, the Slow Face Cream, in September 2020. RDP wants to simplify skincare by having a minimalist approach and only offering the essentials. We want to make it easy to make more sustainable choices in our everyday habits.
I came across Sulapac when I was doing research on sustainable packaging alternatives. I knew I didn’t want to use plastic and I thought that glass was too heavy and fragile to transport. When I first saw the Sulapac website I was struck by the beautiful design but also the mission of the company. Replacing plastic is something we all should be working towards.
“Sustainability is at the core of RDP. Starting a brand from scratch, you have the opportunity to make the right choices from day one.”
For instance, we knew we wanted our formulations to be vegan, since using animal byproducts is an unnecessary practice. We also knew we wanted all ingredients to be of natural origin. When it came to packaging, it was hard to find a truly sustainable alternative. I was very happy when I found Sulapac and realized our values align.
The reception of Sulapac packaging has been great. The design is striking and the fact that the material is made from wood from the Nordic forest has intrigued our customers. Many of them want to know more about how it organically biodegrades and how the material is made. Since there are alternatives to traditional plastic, such as the Sulapac material, we really believe we should shift towards using those alternatives even if they are less accessible.
Working with Sulapac has been a pleasure. It is an innovative company that strives for change and is willing to work with small like-minded brands like RDP. The people we have worked with are extremely talented, easy to communicate with, and helpful. We are looking forward to see what Sulapac does next and are eager to collaborate on other projects.”
Rebecca Dufour Partanen, Founder
Sulapac accelerates the plastic waste-free future with sustainable materials that are beautiful and functional. Like nature. The Helsinki-based company was founded in 2016 by two biochemists Suvi Haimi and Laura Tirkkonen-Rajasalo and has been ranked one of the 100 hottest startups in Europe by WIRED UK. Join the forerunners at sulapac.com.
08.04.2024 
3 min